Yeah, Butcher Control is basically a Minion 2 (and made by the same people incidentally). Wish there was a stickier rubber version mind but they're still brilliant as they are. Tubeless ready, inexplicably light for their toughness, good in most conditions... Mint.

I love my Minion DHF but it's a 2.5 single ply tubed. Something like that but marginally narrower and tubeless would be ideal. So the Butchers sound ideal for me too - but do they have fairly sturdy sidewalls? I've generally found I prefer UST tyres to "tubeless ready" for this reason but I don't know why (UST is the bead shape only, right?). I've not used spesh tyres in recent years so hard to judge but UST rubber Queens and High Rollers have done the trick, Schwalbes haven't lasted me well at all.

So the Butchers sound ideal for me too - but do they have fairly sturdy sidewalls?

The Controls are tough for singleplies and for their weight but they're not bombproof- no clever protection, just sensibly tough carcass and a fair bit of rubber. If it's a concern you can go up a level- there's the Control, then the SX, then the full downhill dualply, the SX isn't officially tubeless ready but it acts like it is, and it is proper tough- I use 'em on the dh bike.